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This spacious traditional farmhouse with meadow-style garden and south-facing balcony with views over Bled Castle comfortably accommodates groups of up to six.
The ground floor has a well-equipped kitchen with large dining table; a comfortable evening lounge; a library – stocked with books, DVDs and games; as well as a bathroom and a cloak room.
The upstairs accommodation includes two double bedrooms, one usually arranged as a twin, the main bathroom, and a double attic room with four single beds and a play area– ideal for children.
Facilities are extensive and include all the modern conveniences you would expect from quality farmhouse holiday accommodation.
With the village shop and restaurant close at hand, and being located at the heart of the old town of the village of Zasip,...This spacious traditional farmhouse with meadow-style garden and south-facing balcony with views over Bled Castle comfortably accommodates groups of up to six.
The ground floor has a well-equipped kitchen with large dining table; a comfortable evening lounge; a library – stocked with books, DVDs and games; as well as a bathroom and a cloak room.
The upstairs accommodation includes two double bedrooms, one usually arranged as a twin, the main bathroom, and a double attic room with four single beds and a play area– ideal for children.
Facilities are extensive and include all the modern conveniences you would expect from quality farmhouse holiday accommodation.
With the village shop and restaurant close at hand, and being located at the heart of the old town of the village of Zasip, you will find that everything you need from day to day is nearby. Just a short drive from the tourist centre of Bled, the house is ideally located for those seeking the peace and tranquility of village life with the added benefit of having the top facilities associated with Slovenia's premier tourist destination within easy reach.
Whether you are new to the area or a frequent visitor, our own guides of local walks and restaurants will help you get the most from your stay. The featured walks are all easy and have been chosen to combine minimal effort with maximum scenic reward. Most of our suggested restaurants are tucked away in the small villages surrounding Bled. All are culinary, architectural or scenic gems.
The house will have been freshly prepared for your holiday with beds made and towels provided- allowing you to relax as soon as you arrive. Should you find you need anything during your stay our local agents at Think Slovenia are there to help.
A holiday in this authentic farmhouse on the doorstep of one of Europe’s most breath-taking and tranquil regions is a truly unique experience. An experience, should you choose to stay, we’re confident you’ll appreciate as much as previous guests have.
The house's own website includes full details of the house, its facilities and things to do locally in every season. Of course if you would like to know more, please do ask when you make an enquiry through this site.
House Rules
Pets not allowedKid friendlyNo smoking
Bedrooms
1 Super King6 Singles
Bathrooms
1 Full bath1 Shower
Meet the host
Stuart Ellis (
Hosting since March 2011
Languages spoken: English
Response Rate: 100%
Response Time: Within a few hours
Interaction with guests:Â The house is managed by our local agent and will have been freshly prepared for your holiday with beds made and towels provided- allowing you to relax as soon as you arrive. Should you find you need anything during your stay our agent is there to help.
Whether you are new to the area or a frequent visitor, our own guides of local walks and restaurants will help you get the most from your stay. The featured walks are all easy and have been chosen to combine minimal effort with maximum scenic reward. Most of our suggested restaurants are tucked away in the small villages surrounding Bled. All are culinary, architectural or scenic gems.
Dear Stuart, it is a nice former genuine farmer house with a nice view. What a good air, very good fresh water, perfect silence.
nicely equipped, kitchen is perfect and you may try your cooking excellence in every respect,
we sportsmen and sportswomen had a very good time during our regatta event.
and we had a lot of fun in your "castle". many thanks for your perfect furnishings.
enjoyed it very much.
Hilko and friends
Visited September 2017
Written 27 September 2017. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
lisacmarsh
Alton, United Kingdom2 contributions
Great base for walking/hiking and discovering Bled and the surrounding area
The Alpine Retreat is set in a rural spot around 30 minutes walk or a few minutes drive from the centre of Bled and Stuart has left the house well equipped with information and maps. The house was spotlessly clean, spacious and had everything you need for a self catering holiday. I'd highly recommend it and Stuart has been incredibly helpful throughout the booking process and beyond.
This is what we did if it helps!
We are a family of 5 with 3 active teenagers so they didn't mind walking in and out of Bled most days and they took advantage of the many activities on offer from Bled itself. We went canyoning, white water rafting and did a 3 hour mountain bike ride with a guide (went through 3Glav Adventures) which was just fabulous. Much easier than stopping to map read every 5 minutes!
It's easy to rent kayaks on the lake so we interspersed kayaking and rowing with walking, swimming and lazing about around the lake.
We went to Lake Bohinj on a few occasions too - around 40 minutes drive away and a gentler and quieter alternative to Bled.
Stuart gave detailed directions for many walks ranging from 1 hour upwards and they were a perfect way to explore the stunning countryside right on the doorstep so we did a couple of those and enjoyed them thoroughly.
Vintgar Gorge is just a half an hour's walk away and we'd thoroughly recommend doing that walk early in your stay to familiarise yourself with what's around.
We also headed off early one morning to Venice and had a great day there. The trip is pretty easy by road if you set off early enough (we left by 6am) and takes around 3.5hours. Park at Tronchetto for 21 Euros for the day.
Ljubljana is well worth a trip too and so easy to get to. It took around 45 minutes to get to the centre and it's so pretty. Busy without being mobbed (unlike Venice!), lots of lovely bars and cafes and totally pedestrianised so nice and quiet to walk around. We took a gentle boat trip along the canal which was a fun way to see this beautiful town. I would happily spend more time there.
Zasip itself has a good pub and a small supermarket so your daily needs are covered and there's a pizzeria "up the hill" which looks good but we never used it!
The only negative point I can say is that the house is situated right next to a cattle shed (and the cows are in there permanently) so there's the occasional rural smell associated with that but if you're out and about all day, it shouldn't worry you too much. Depends on which way the wind is blowing too! They're incredibly quiet, so noise is not an issue.
Visited August 2017
Written 30 August 2017. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Linda S
9 contributions
Beautiful stay in a superconfortable house
We spent 4 days in this house during xmas holiday.
We were 4 adults and 1 baby (20months) and we stay really well.
The house is big and confortable, with everything we need in! Also for the baby, very well equipped.
The country side around in quite and beautiful.
I would like to come back in summer or with snow all around!
Visited December 2015 Travelled with friends
Written 7 January 2016. This review is the subjective opinion of an individual traveller and not of Tripadvisor LLC nor of its partners. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Catherine G
Nashville, TN3 contributions
Comfortable, cute house in a quiet village near Bled.
We enjoyed the house and the surrounding area. This was a nice location for taking day trips to Ljubliana and several hiking areas. It was nice to be close to Bled but not in the middle of the tourist area. Stuart, the property owner, was very responsive to all of our questions. He sends out a large packet of information before you come to the house. Make sure you bring out his directions before you come because it would have been very hard to find the house and the parking space without them. However, his directions are perfect, so keep them with you! We hope others enjoy their vacation to Slovenia as much as we did!
Visited June 2015
Written 5 December 2015. This review is the subjective opinion of an individual traveller and not of Tripadvisor LLC nor of its partners. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Mira B
Perth, Australia1 contribution
Most enjoyable summer in Bled
The house was a great place to share with my extended family and friends visiting us through the month of July 2015. Stuart is a great host and organiser. Everything went smoothly and with the least of hassle. The place is well equipped, village is nice a quiet, people friendly and Bled is a walking distance.
Visited July 2015 Travelled with family
Written 4 December 2015. This review is the subjective opinion of an individual traveller and not of Tripadvisor LLC nor of its partners. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Blodwen51
Victoria, Australia1 contribution
The location was one of the highlights of our European tour
Perfect location in Zasip near Lake Bled.
We were 3 couples travelling together and our stay at Alpine Retreat was one of the highlights of our European tour in September 2015. We all wish that we could have stayed longer. The southern views over Lake Bled are quite stunning and constantly changing. The house was hard to recognise from the road as the outside photos on the website are of the back of the house. It was a challenge parking our 9 seater people mover safely in the space allocated on the narrow road but we managed.
Stuart has done a great job in modernizing the house while maintaining the feel of an historic Slovenian farmhouse. Most facilities are very good and include a large flat screen TV, dishwasher, washing machine and good internet access. Bed rooms are spacious and the upstairs bathroom is excellent and quite modern. However, the downstairs bathroom is very basic. This fact would not deter us from returning to stay at the Alpine Retreat again.
A lot of local information regarding drives, walks and other activities can be found on the book shelves in the house which was very helpful. Not to be missed is the Vintgar Gorge walk.
There is a small supermarket in the village just a short walk away, an excellent restaurant serving local speciality foods and a pizzeria.
We have all brought back to Australia fond memories of our stay and hope to return one day.
Visited September 2014 Travelled with friends
Written 16 January 2015. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Luey9189
Queenscliff, Australia68 contributions
Wonderful stay in Zasip
We can't speak highly enough of our stay in the Alpine Retreat. Booking with Stuart was easy and checking in with Ana from ThinkSlovenia was very efficient. They also were extremely helpful when we had a hiccup with our prior accommodation and needed to add an extra night's accommodation.
The house is lovely inside with everything that a big family or group could need. From washers, dishwashers, wifi, satellite tv and a HUGE comfy lounge for all of us to collapse on after a big day's sightseeing. My only comment on the car parking is it's a bit hairy - I was worried about the small spots, but it was all fine....I guess we are used to big roads and big parking spots (which is the opposite to Bled and Zasip!)
We would also highly recommend the pizza on the hill. We did the walk once (amazing views) and then drove it from then!
We would happily come and stay again to the beautiful area and Alpine Retreat
Visited April 2013 Travelled with family
Written 1 June 2013. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
wanderlust7313
7 contributions
A charming and comfortable retreat which gives you a unique Slovenian experience
We stayed with friends and family over the new year. The house was charming - a great mix of modern comforts and traditional character. It is in a lovely village in a great location giving you easy access to many things to do and see. You have a choice of numerous ski resorts within 45 mins drive including Vogel and Kransjka Gora and Krvavec. We also enjoyed: dog sledding in the mountains near Trevisio (just over the Italian border) which is a beautiful area; scenic train journey from Podhom (1 mile down road) to Nova Gorica; sledging at Pokuljuka; horse riding near Lake Bohinj and a beautiful walk around Lake Bled. The house has study with lots of information, guidebooks and maps and also wifi access which is great to check the weather forecast. Would also strongly recommend Pizza Jurcek at top of hill in Zasip - tasty pizzas, friendly service, children's play area and great views from terrace. If you fancy something further afield Restuarant Lectar in Radovljica is a real treat plus gingerbread shop. Overall a great house in a wonderful alpine location.
Visited January 2013 Travelled with friends
Written 18 January 2013. This review is the subjective opinion of an individual traveller and not of Tripadvisor LLC nor of its partners. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
JAMES H
London, United Kingdom13 contributions
Lovely House But Not Quite What We Expected
The house is genuinely fantastic. It is bright, airy and perfectly traditional. However the photos do make the house seem much bigger than it actually is. The view of the outside of the house is from the back, going down the road which leads to Lake Bled (a very short and pretty drive from the house). If you come through Zasip the house is completely unrecognisable. It does look stunning, but in a very different way. Also the pictures make the house seem very isolated. In fact it is in the heart of the old village, right next to the church. This was not a problem for us however. The rooms were spacious and well presented and they all had a bona fide country feel to them. The house has a huge DVD library, very useful for nights with the kids, and a plethora of local information. The only downside, which (in all fairness) was not claimed in the advertisement, was the lack of outdoor space. There was a narrow balcony (with stunning views, I hasten to add) which could only be accessed through the downstairs bathroom and a small garden which was accessed from the cellar of you had to walk round the house to get to it. Despite all of this the house is unarguably beautiful, well laid out and very spacious. The 3 (and a half) bedrooms were perfect. The loft was really quiet and peaceful. It was also quite separated from the main house, absolutely perfect for kids. All in all a smashing house in a fabulous location (although the Pizzeria is quite a trek away).
Visited July 2012
Written 28 December 2012. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
BNorton
Vancouver, Canada1 contribution
Everything you could need
My family and I (6 adults) stayed at the Alpine Retreat for a week in June. We found that every room of the beautifully converted house had exactly what was needed for a content and comfortable holiday. A very well stocked kitchen, lounge room with DVD's, books, etc), and a gorgeous upstairs bathroom with stunning views which can also be enjoyed from many other parts of the house. We enjoyed being in Zasip, a few kilometers away from Bled. It meant we were close to the main tourist attractions but that we were also drawn to other quieter but equally lovely parts of the region. Highly recommend.
Visited June 2012 Travelled with family
Written 5 July 2012. This review is the subjective opinion of an individual traveller and not of Tripadvisor LLC nor of its partners. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
The Alpine Retreat is sited on the top of a gentle escarpment in the village of Zasip, just a couple of kilometres from Bled. Zasip has everything you could need on a day to day basis including a pub / restaurant, a mini market, a pizza place and even its own schnapps farm. The views from the hillside pizza place are tremendous and the onwards walk around the hillside or through forests to the Vintgar Gorge are a delight.
Bled is Slovenia's top tourist destination, after Ljubljana, but even at the height of summer has an almost sleepy feel to it. Bled is a fairly small town offering a host of facilities, adventure trips and excursions and, in its own laid back fashion, hosts annual MUSIC FESTIVAL and other national and international competitions. For instance, in summer 2013 it hosts Winter Swimming and Rowing Championships.
Lake Bled is fed by thermal waters and can reach a very pleasant 24°C by September. There are two formal SWIMMING AREAS, one at the eastern end of the lake (which is free) and the other sited at the foot of the castle crag. The latter has changing rooms, water slides, a bar and snack restaurant. Visit the island by hired rowing boat or be ferried in style by Pletna boat.
Swimming in Lake Bohinj, a 40minute drive away, is less restricted than Lake Bled. If you’re brave enough to dip more than a big toe in the water, you can take an invigorating swim from any of the gravel beaches. The mountain backdrops are stunning and will take your breath away just as effectively as the cold water. If you prefer to stay on top of the water board the lake cruiser or hire a canadian style canoe.
The Julian Alps are criss-crossed with paths and attract both ramblers and serious mountaineers. Many paths are way-marked so it is easy to find your own routes. Guides are available to escort you on longer treks and up the challenging Triglav - at 2864m - the tallest mountain in Slovenia.
Slovenia has a reputation for WINTER SPORTS and the area around Bled has numerous downhill SKI-RUNS, cross country ski circuits, a number of ICE SKATING rinks and the largest ski-jump in the world. Although most of the summer attractions are curtailed by the low winter temperatures and snow cover, it is still possible to go trekking on ICELANDIC PONIES and experience the thrill of dog sledding - both during the winter. The ski fields around Bled are most suited to intermediate skiers, however there are enough easy runs for beginners to progress and a few black runs to test the more advanced skiers. Off-piste skiing is possible but the terrain is too exposed to attempt without a guide. The high ski resorts have kindergarden play areas and many villages have their own small ski slopes which are perfect for little ones on skis or toboggans. Kids of all ages will also love the nearby aqua parks, perhaps even more than the sledding.Please visit the ‘Alpine Retreat, Lake Bled’ website for further details of the local ski fields. Prices are much lower than elsewhere in the alps!
Getting around
Although not essential, to avoid wasting time waiting for buses or trains, you are best bringing or hiring a car for your stay.
Access
Car advised
How to get there
How to get there: Although the drive to Slovenia from the UK is fairly straightforward and can be done in under 24hrs, the house locally known as ;Pr Tonco (Tony;s Place) is easily reached from several airports, Ljubljana being the nearest and most commonly used by guests staying at the house. After your short flight, of about an hour and forty minutes from the UK, you can hire a car from the airport and the drive to the house takes 40 minutes. It’s a straightforward journey and before you know it, you’ll have unpacked your luggage and be ready to enjoy a refreshing glass of wine on the balcony overlooking one of the many breathtaking views. Good times indeed.
Hire Car: If you’re hiring a car from the airport then head to the ground floor of the car park which is directly opposite the terminal building and about 50m from the arrivals lounge exit. Upon booking we will forward detailed directions but in short : when you leave the airport: take two left turns, two right turns, 20 mins on the motorway, a right turn, straight-ahead twice, and four right turns....and you're there! It takes beteeen 30 and 40 minutes.
Taxi: If you’re taking a taxi then do be aware that prices vary enormously. A metered taxi will cost about €65 but you can negotiate this price down to around €50 before you get in the taxi. A pre-booked taxi with a Bled Agency will cost from €35.
Shuttle Bus: In the summer season a shuttle bus runs between the Airport and Bled, this will cost about €10-€15 /person and for a little extra the driver may even take you to Zasip. If not, the short journey is inexpensive by bus but would be as much as €10 by taxi.
100% refund within 24 hours after booking (provided the stay is at least 60 days away).
100% refund* if you cancel at least 2 weeks before check-in
No refund available once booking is confirmed
Notes from owner
Tourist Tax is included in the nightly rates. A damage deposit of 200 Euro will be refunded by Holiday Rentals / Trip Advisor 14 days after departure. After Booking I will ask for copies of all guest's passport so that I can register your stay with the Local Tourist Authority and Promotional Taxes.
About this property
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